If you have an idea of the job of your dreams, start by working backward from your goal to outline the necessary steps.
A specific job target includes a specific industry, company and department.
Who do you know in that department? Who do you know in the company - they may be able to refer you to someone in the department? Who do you know in that industry - to get to the company to get to the department? Job seekers should realize that 20% or less of jobs are filled by advertising.
Word-of-mouth or networking is the most effective method.
To figure out where to start networking, work backward from your target job.
Get to the decision makers who will know what spots are open and will have the power to hire you for one of them.
If you don't have a specific job in mind but know you want the financial industry in general or the banking function in general, work backward from role models in these areas.
Find out the preceding jobs and the education background of top people in your dream career.
This reveals what type of training and experience you need.
This saves you from going after degrees or jobs that aren't necessary or helpful.
There is no greater frustration than moving towards a goal only to find the initial strategy you pursued won't get you there.
One way to avoid this is to test your strategy by working backward from the goal.
The right strategy is just as important as execution.